Thirty-seven suspected illegal miners have died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State. This happened following their arrest during operations against illegal mining.
According to TheCable, the miners were arrested during NSCDC operations carried out on September 15 and 16 in M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto villages.
Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Aniviye, said scores of the detained suspects were found dead in the early hours of Thursday.
“However, in the early hours of 17th September, 2026, scores of the detained suspects were found dead, following a suspected outbreak of disease,” the command said.
The bodies were subsequently deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination to determine the actual cause of death.
Niger govt confirms 37 deaths
The Niger State Government later confirmed that 37 suspected illegal miners died in NSCDC custody.
Governor Umar Bago expressed condolences to the families of the victims and declared three days of mourning following the incident.
The state government also cancelled an All Progressives Congress political rally scheduled to hold in Minna on Saturday, September 19.
The NSCDC, however, stressed that suggestions that a disease outbreak caused the deaths had not been medically confirmed.
NSCDC launches investigation
NSCDC Commandant-General Ahmed Abubakar Audi has ordered the constitution of a high-powered investigative team. This team will examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The team, led by the Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Intelligence and Investigation, is expected to investigate the condition of the suspects when they were arrested. In addition, it will look into how long they spent in custody, detention conditions and the medical attention they received.
“The team has been mandated to undertake a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances leading to the deaths,” the Corps said.
NSCDC National Public Relations Officer Babawale Afolabi said the agency would refrain from attributing the deaths to any particular disease. This will remain the case until medical and laboratory examinations had been completed.
“The Corps will therefore refrain from speculation until the outcome of the medical examination is established,” he said.
Audi also ordered officials to prioritise the health and welfare of other detainees. Meanwhile, he asked them to take measures to protect personnel who may have had contact with the deceased.
